


Audience With The Emperor

by NaughtyBees



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Macro/Micro, Octavius is Augustus, Roman AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4456253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaughtyBees/pseuds/NaughtyBees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedediah is a borrower who is accidentally spotted by the most powerful human in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Audience With The Emperor

**Author's Note:**

> This is assuming Octavius is Augustus Caesar.

Jedediah dodged sandal clad feet as he sprinted towards a minute crack in the marble behind a statue. He had never seen the man depicted in the carved stone but he knew who it was. Emperor Augustus, the leader of the human land under which the tiny man and his people lived. They had been there for who knows how long, burrowing under the soil for protection from the outside world. They hadn't moved when the Roman Forum was built above them, they just learnt to coexist with the colossal versions of themselves, despite the humans not even knowing. They had picked up the Latin language from what they heard and taught it to their children in order to make sure they could talk their way out of any situations they were presented with. 

Jedediah used a small tunnel in the wall to navigate his way to the feast room within one of the governmental buildings. 'At this time, it should be empty. Apart from all that food.' He thought as he approached the crack in the wall. His blue eyes darted around, searching for movement of any kind. When he was sure he was alone, he made his way to the table, climbing it swiftly and beginning to find food. He stuffed little pieces into his bag, gathering what he could. He pulled off a sliver of meat from a joint and began to eat it ravenously as he hadn't eaten in days. 

It was then that he felt a tingle in his spine which caused him to look around cautiously. He gasped when he spotted a human standing directly behind him, whirling round to face them. He instantly recognised the face. He had seen it carved out of countless blocks of marble. Jedediah had never been faced with such a direct encounter. He stared fearfully into the incredible eyes boring into him, dwelling on the fact that he could see the man thinking just by looking into them, could see how intelligent he was. Unable to run, as he would be caught, and unable to hide in plain sight, the miniature man did something he could never see himself doing. He knelt down and threw himself on the table as if he was greeting the Emperor as a poor human as opposed to himself. 

The air was silent and tense for a moment. Jedediah knew that Romans had strange eating habits and also knew he was less than bite sized. He was terrified of being mistaken for a bug, too. Life was full of danger for his kind. However, all he gained was a beyond gentle touch on the shoulder. He glanced sideways, wondering why he didn't feel like shying away from the tree-trunk finger brushing against him. A quiet, serene voice, clearly flowing from behind a smile, spoke to him. "There is no need to bow. I doubt I am your Emperor just as you aren't my subject." Jedediah was shocked, sitting up and looking at the human, literally the most powerful man in the world, who was so gentle and friendly. "You may continue gathering food if you wish. Clearly you must have a family to feed if you're taking that much of the consumables. You cannot possibly eat that bread before it rots by yourself."

"...It's true when they say you're smart because you are. Puts me to shame, sir." Jedediah felt strangely calm as he stood. He felt like staying and talking. What would be the harm in it? There's no way he was in danger from being hurt by this man now. "I'm Jedediah. I live underground with other people of my size."

With a calm smile, Augustus gracefully sat in a chair, leaning forwards a little. Jedediah sat on the edge of a plate of fruit, straightening his mouse leather clothes. "I am Augustus. Emperor of Rome. But I am not that keen on the splendour so you need not refer to me respectfully." 

Jedediah smiled and pulled a grape off a stalk, resting it on his lap and using his knife to slice off the top and cutting slivers of flesh out, eating them. "Thanks for being so nice. We're usually pretty scared of you giants but you're not bad."

Augustus chuckled and smiled. "Do not worry, I shan't hurt you." He began to speak again but paused as he heard footsteps and voices. As if he had been carefully instructed on how to pick him up, and with the grace of a swan, the Emperor calmly scooped Jedediah into his palms and held him in one soft hand. The small blond was only able to see a little from within the gentle fist, peering out of the hole between the palm and forefinger. He wasn't at all panicked, knowing he was literally in safe hands. 

Hearing voices in the room, Jed held tightly to the emperor's thumb, smiling as he was given a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I must relieve myself before we begin." He strode from the room, walking to his bedchambers. He knelt down, carefully placing Jedediah down. "Let me say to you before you go..." He smiled gently, the borrower feeling his face heat up a little. "You and your kind are welcome here. I shall make sure there is always food in my bedchambers and if any report a sighting... I shall tell them they must stop drinking." 

Jedediah grinned. "Thank you. So much." He patted Augustus' finger. "You're a good man." He put the satchel of gathered food over his shoulder and scampered to a crack in the wall, waving to the emperor before leaving. It certainly wouldn't be the last time he saw the emperor,  that's for sure. 


End file.
